Friend. Companion. Family

Adopting a dog- The bond that ties us together

I remembered my husband’s expressions as he reminisced about adopting Kwen and bringing her home. His exuberance was so contagious 😊. She was adopted 4 years ago from the Oregon Humane Society (OHS)– an animal shelter known for the adoption of thousands of dogs annually; not counting the likes of cats, as well as other homely animals, under their care and protection. I’m gonna start off with sharing my dog adoption experience, which was very nerve wrecking. But nonetheless, would do again in a heartbeat.

We needed a companion for Kwen who got really depressed after losing our other dog Sammy. We thought we needed a Golden Retriever, and after days of researching shelters and viewing ads, we came across an ad on Craigslist. I spent close to an hour composing the introductory email, checking grammar, lighting in the photos…the whole shebang 😂😂😂. By the time I was done making sure everything was just perfect and sent the email, the seller replied saying a couple just made an offer, less than a minute ago. BUMMER!!! We had to call back by 3pm the next day to check if they had decided to take puppy. Then the countdown began. I checked my phone, 12:15 PM, then checked it again (what felt like 2 hours after), 12:35 PM 😩. Time moved soooo slooowly. It was the longest day ever. To cut a long story short, the couple “decided” to take the puppy. Like, who in their right mind would drive all the way from Bend to Portland Oregon, to just look at the pup??? 🤔. But I gotta have faith right? So there we were, back to square one; the waiting lists, calling and emailing people.
Finally, OHS got a dog we loved, Cream, thee perfect dog…so we thought at the time. We went in, I filled out the application and collected that disk thing (I don’t know what it’s called) that lighted up and vibrated when our time came to meet the dog. While we were there waiting, my husband persuaded me to look at other dogs to have a backup, but I was too fixated on Cream. I eventually gave in reluctantly. After seeing a few dogs, we approached a kennel that had a black brindle puppy tucked away in corner to the back of her Kennel. We called her but she kept to herself. Then suddenly she ran up to her kennel door, growled and barked at us, ran back to her little spot and started wagging her happy tail. That was the cutest thing ever 😊. I connected with her instantly. I was like, “hun we need to cancel the paperwork for Cream and get this one.” To cut another long story short (by now you must have realized that all my stories are long). We adopted Mona, who’s now called Journey. That pup has been through so much during her first 4 months of life before OHS rescued her. Her life has been a journey, from the streets of California, to the Oregon Humane Society and finally to our home.

I didn’t know the importance as well as the benefits of adopting a dog, and God bless my husband for taking that bold step 4 years ago when he adopted Kwen. Adoption in general offers benefits to both the pet parent(s) as well as the pet in so many ways that you could ever imagine, and will turn both your lives around, and it certainly did for us.

When Journey first came in, there was this unexplainable connection that I spoke of earlier. She ran to the backyard and started playing with Kwen (as seen in the video on Adding a new dog to the family pack post) immediately. It was like we had her forever. She was so happy, relaxed and comfortable. She not only provided companionship for Kwen, but also for me. Our dogs are very loyal, loves being around us and are always by my side wherever I go.

We’re committed to providing a better life for both our dogs. Securing a home for an adopted dog is the best of gifts you could ever give to them. The gift of love and a sense of belonging to a family of theirs, and in return, you get loyalty, friendship, companionship and so much love in their very own way of showing…for a life time.

6 reasons for adopting a dog from a shelter:

You give them a second chance, saving a life.

You help stop cruelty against dogs by individuals who mass breed especially for commercial use.

You get a dog that has been cared for physically and emotionally. Every dog is screened and vaccinated, and shelter workers (trainers, vets, dog handlers, etc.) goes above and beyond to ensure that their canine residents are in good health.

You have lots of choices. You’re able to choose from a wide variety base on size, age, breed and amazing mixes.

You’re also able to adopt a dog that’s already been trained and you’re able to find a dog that matches your lifestyle.

You get support from your adoption shelter. You’re able to get answers to your questions and access to training events and seminars.

It’s such an humbling feeling to know that you are contributing to saving a life when you adopt a pet. Most pets who are in less caring homes end up in depression and desolation. Let us not just think this only occurs to humans…it affects pets too, and they eventually succumbed to the effects over time. Earlier I spoke about having that connection with my dogs and am gonna share with you how strong that bond can be. It’s the same bond that a child has with their dog, or an individual has with their service dog. Here goes another story…I love telling stories. I promise to keep it short 😀.

So my grand-aunt had a parrot by the name of Paula, she was probably over 30 years old…really old, caused I remembered by mom telling stories of Paula when she was a kid. When my grand-aunt died, Paula died shortly after. Also, when my brother’s mentor at church died, his dog died a few days after. Both pets’ death were not related to any illness, they were in good health. They died of broken heart, and there are tons of similar cases. My younger sister’s dog Rex would snuck out the yard and sat at the bus stop every evening at the exact time, and he did that until he died. He would wait for her and they both walked home. He some how sensed her, and within 3 minutes of arriving at the bus stop, my sister would be there. That’s how strong the bond between an owner and pet can be…VERY STRONG.

Adopting a dog or any pet, gives that pet a second chance to life, and you the pet parent(s) the opportunity to fill that void in your life. My dogs are not just my pets, but a friend, companion…my family.